HMCS PROTECTEUR is the second of three operational support ships built
in Canada for the Canadian Navy. The first, HMCS PROVIDER, was commissioned
in 1963, and until the construction of PROTECTEUR in 1969, extensive studies
had been carried out on her transfer of stores and fuel at sea, optimum
stowage and handling capabilities. The PROVIDER studies resulted in significant
changes in the design of HMCS PROTECTEUR and her sister ship HMCS PRESERVER.